Missing children under 18 years old and return home interviews - Find a freedom of information request

Request

1.How many children (under 18) were reported missing in your local authority

area for the years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

2.How many individual children did the above relate to? I expect that you will have multiple reports involving the same child.

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

3. How many return home interviews did you complete within 72 hours of a missing episode, for a child (under 18) for the years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

4. In relation to Q3 how many individual children did this relate to for the following years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

5. How many of the children in Q4 declined a return home interview in the following years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

6. How many children in your local authority area who went missing were in your care i.e looked after children for the years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/22

 

7. In relation to Q6 how many missing episodes did this total for the following years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

8. How many looked after children, who were placed outside your local authority area, went missing in the years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

9.In relation to Q8 how many missing episodes did this add up to in total for the following years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

10. How many return interviews did you complete within 72 hours of a missing episode for children in your care for the years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

11.In relation to Q10 how many individual children did this relate to in the following years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

12. How many of the children in Q11 declined a return home interview in

the following years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

13. How many return interviews did you complete within 72 hours of a missing episode, for children in your care placed outside of your local authority area for the years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

14. In relation to Q13 how many individual children did this relate to for the years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

15. How many of the children in Q14 declined a return home interview in the following years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

 

16.How many children have not yet been found for the years:

a) 2019/2020

b) 2020/2021

c) 2021/2022

Decision

1. Since the next question asks about the individual number of children. It is interpreted that this question relates to the number of missing instances, not the number of children missing as stated above.


a) 1,953


b) 1,427


c) 1,365
 
2.


a) 918


b) 645


c) 685

 
3. Not all of those individual missing instances identified in question 1 will be eligible for a return home interview.  For instance, if they are a child from placed by another local authority area, visiting our area or under the age of 10.  Additionally, if the child goes missing again before a return home interview is completed, one interview will be recorded as taken place; but all missing instances will be explored during this interview.


a) 922


b) 647


c) 682

 
4.


a) 566


b) 399


c) 433

 
5.


a) 111 children declined a return home interview in this period.  These individuals do not relate to those that identified in question 4.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 4 went on to decline a return home interview.

 

b) 70 children declined a return home interview in this period.  These individuals do not relate to those that identified in question 4.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 4 went on to decline a return home interview.

 

c) 74 children declined a return home interview in this period.  These individuals do not relate to those that identified in question 4.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 4 went on to decline a return home interview.

 
6.


a) 75


b) 62


c) 61

 
7.


a) 270


b) 206


c) 229

 
8.


a) 14


b) 21


c) 20

 
9.


a) 71


b) 66


c) 87


 
10. Not all of those individual missing instances identified in question 8 will be eligible for a return home interview.  For instance, if they are a child from placed by another local authority area, visiting our area or under the age of 10.  Additionally, if the child goes missing again before a return home interview is completed, one interview will be recorded as taken place; but all missing instances will be explored during this interview.

The answers below relates to those placed within and out of our authority are as the question does not stipulate either way.


a) 152


b) 124


c) 141


 
11. The answers below relates to those placed within and out of our authority are as the question does not stipulate either way.


a) 70


b) 58


c) 64

 
12.


a) 16 children in our care declined a return home interview in this period.  These individuals do not relate to those that identified in question 11.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 8 went on to decline a return home interview.

 

b) Three children in our care declined a return home interview in this period.  These individuals do not relate to those that identified in question 11.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 8 went on to decline a return home interview.


c) Two children in our care declined a return home interview in this period.  These individuals do not relate to those that identified in question 11.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 8 went on to decline a return home interview.


 
13. Not all of those individual missing instances identified in question 8 will be eligible for a return home interview.  For instance, if they are a child from placed by another local authority area, visiting our area or under the age of 10.  Additionally, if the child goes missing again before a return home interview is completed, one interview will be recorded as taken place; but all missing instances will be explored during this interview.


a) 23


b) 30


c) 38


14.


a) 14


b) 21


c) 17

 
15. 


a) One child in our care placed out of area declined a return home interview in this period.  This individual does not relate to those that identified in question 14.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 14 went on to decline a return home interview.

 

b) One child in our care placed out of area declined a return home interview in this period.  This individual does not relate to those that identified in question 14.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 14 went on to decline a return home interview.


c) One child in our care placed out of area declined a return home interview in this period.  This individual does not relate to those that identified in question 14.  It would be out of the scope in terms of time required to identify how many of those in question 14 went on to decline a return home interview.

 
16.


a) 0


b) 0


c) 0

Reference number
6055961
Date request received
2 February 2023
Date of decision
9 February 2023